Dropped cigarette triggered fiery crash on I-57 at Buckley

An Illinois State Police report states the driver of a semi dropped his cigarette, causing him to hit a guardrail and led to the two-semi crash near Buckley Monday night.

The crash closed I-57 between Onarga and Paxton for about five hours.The drivers of the semis were treated and released.

Charges are pending against one of the drivers, 56-year-old Ricky Hall of Cleveland, TN.The other driver was identified as 55-year-old David Horosz of Amherst, Ohio.

The police report stated Hall’s freightliner was southbound.So was the semi-trailer driven by Horosz.When Hall dropped his cigarette, he was trying to retrieve it when he hit the guardrail.The rig ran off the road, came back onto the roadway, overturned and then hit the other semi.One vehicle started on fire and ignited the other unit.

Buckley, Loda and Onarga fire answered the call.Onarga and Gilman Police, State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation also assisted.